


Choked Up

by fiveyaaas



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bisexual Number Five | The Boy, Bisexual Vanya Hargreeves, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Cunnilingus, Exhibitionism, F/M, Heavy Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Protective Number Five | The Boy, Protective Vanya Hargreeves, Smut, Threesome - F/F/M, Vaginal Fingering, Voyeurism, also like who cares about canon anyways, this was started before the sparrows were introduced
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:01:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28816035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveyaaas/pseuds/fiveyaaas
Summary: Seven forced herself not to roll her eyes as Three ranted to her about the Umbrella Academy, but Five, knowing her better than anybody else, could still tell that she was staving off her annoyance. The Sparrow branded against his wrist dipped out as he reached his hand forward to grab his cup of water, tipping it to his lips and arching a brow at her. When Reginald’s head turned, he muttered, quietly enough that only she would hear, “Fifty says I could seduce the other Seven.”
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 9
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunchime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunchime/gifts).



> Okay, so I promised when I started the cursed Mamma Mia AU that I’d have another (serious) Sparrow AU. This is it. I’m dedicating this to sunchime because her art inspired me to write this one night, and she already knows this but I have it up as my wallpaper on my phone rn lmao. 
> 
> This will have a major character death, violence, and a lot of smut. If any of these things bother you, please read one of my other fics instead!!! 
> 
> For ease of remembering who is who, Sparrow!Vanya is referred to as “Seven” and Umbrella!Vanya is referred to as “Vanya.” All of the numbers correspond to the UA’s numbers, and, no, this fic won’t include the canon Sparrow Academy at all. (Nor will any fics I write in the future!) I will likely have a few more Sparrow AUs before s3 comes out, and my goal is to have every WIP done by then in the (unlikely) case that watching it makes me want to stop writing for The Umbrella Academy completely.

Seven forced herself not to roll her eyes as Three ranted to her about the Umbrella Academy, but Five, knowing her better than anybody else, could still tell that she was staving off her annoyance. The Sparrow branded against his wrist dipped out as he reached his hand forward to grab his cup of water, tipping it to his lips and arching a brow at her. When Reginald’s head turned, he muttered, quietly enough that only she would hear, “Fifty says I could seduce the other Seven.”

She pursed her lips, curling her fingers into a sign language “C.”

“A hundred dollars?” he confirmed. “Roman numerals are douchey, by the way.” 

All she needed to do was shoot him a look for him to amend, “Yeah, I know it’s unfair that I don’t have super hearing too. Trust me, I know.” 

She actually did roll her eyes this time, but the action is fond. He glanced over to Reginald again before he set his palm against her thigh, thumbing at the small stripe of skin that peeked out of her skirt and wasn’t covered by her knee-highs. He’d spent many hours fantasizing about that stripe of skin, she was sure. Maybe they could force the Umbrella’s Number Seven to wear the skirt, and she could more easily understand his fascination. 

His lips quirked, and she understood that he knew where her line of thinking was going, dragging his nails along her skin as his hand steadily hiked further. “Three says her name is  _ Vanya.”  _ The other members of the Sparrow Academy were likely  _ aware  _ that they were murmuring to one another, but they weren’t undoubtedly incapable of knowing a single word he said. As Five’s knuckles brushed over her panties, her expression would not change to them at all. “I like calling you  _ Seven,  _ though. That way we match.”

Her hand met his under her skirt, guiding his (much too slow) movements. When she slipped his index finger inside of her, he smirked, using his free hand to grab a bite of dinner. “The fact that your first reaction to finding out about your alternate self is to fuck her is precisely why I love you, you know.”

She bit down on her lips to keep from giggling, and the gesture prompted him to shove her panties to the side, likely wanting to see if he could make the others even notice. Seven spread her knees apart, jutting her hips forward to provoke him instead. 

“Christ, Seven, I love you.” Her thumb brushed over the veins bulging out on the back of his hand, and his eyes softened, touching her in a way that he knew she liked rather than to get a rise out of her. 

Three continued to ramble until Reginald snapped that she was to be silent at meals, causing a sneer to pinch up her expression. Seven leaned into Five’s touch, finishing dinner and waiting for them to be dismissed to their rooms.

“Before you are dismissed, I must clarify one thing.”

One and Two peered up at him. Three and Four picked at their empty plates. Six watched Seven and Five amusedly, apparently having caught on to what they were doing under the table. 

“The Umbrella Academy is  _ not  _ to be trusted, and you are not to fraternize with them at all.”

They all nodded, and the second Seven and Five landed upstairs, he muttered in her ear, “Bet’s off. We’re fucking her to spite him, instead.”

* * *

Seven awoke to kisses trailing down her jaw, and she questioned, voice bleary, “Solo mission?” 

“Unfortunately. Three hours at most, sweetheart.” 

She opened one eye. “How much time before you go?” 

“I could handle… hmm, fifteen?” 

Flipping them over, Seven asked, “Are you going to use time travel to get your dick wet, Five?”

“Of course I am.”

She glanced over to the camera that had been reset last night, blowing a kiss to the machine before shattering it into small fragments. If insanity was repeating the same thing over and over again expecting different results, Reginald would have lost his mind a decade ago, stubbornly putting up that camera in Five’s room when she’d only destroy it. 

Five pulled down her pajama pants and underwear, flipping them over again as he licked two fingers before sinking them inside of her. Just as he teased them inside of her entrance, she asked, “Will you find Vanya for us today?”

“I don’t know if she’ll be receptive, dear,” he said, eyes narrowing as he scissored his fingers, always very fascinated with her cunt. “We have to wait for her to approach us, at first, you know.”

She pouted, and he sighed. “Am I not enough for you?” Five teased, no worry in his tone at all. They’d been friends for as long as they could remember, and they’d been fucking for quite a long time too.

“Don’t you want to fuck her too?”

“Probably not as much as you,” he remarked, gathering up slickness into his thumb before offering it to her, letting her suck his finger until she couldn’t taste herself on him any longer. “Are you aware that your cunt practically gushes when you think about her?”

“I think it’s a valid response.” 

He pressed his lips to hers, grunting, “Wasn’t disagreeing, dear.”

Seven shoved his head between her thighs, and he didn’t say anything more as he lapped at her eagerly, tongue dipping between her folds. She grabbed one of his hands, brushing a kiss to the knuckles he’d bruised when they’d fought the other Academy. Using his free hand to thumb at her clit, he glanced up briefly to tell her, “I’ll be safe. Promise.” 

Five had been forced to go on solo missions since he was about sixteen. For things that required somebody being able to leave in seconds, he was often sent alone. Seven often begged him to just take her along, but she got the idea that he didn’t like her being on missions in general. When they were younger, he’d always push his body in front of her at any moment, as if to protect her from any stray bullets (even though she could very well just erect a force field when she had to). 

“I’m going to find her while you’re gone,” she said, mainly because she always busied herself with any tasks she could find during these times. She didn’t like him going on missions, either. 

“You can’t, Sev,” he insisted. 

“What am I supposed to do, then?” she snapped. 

He set his chin on her stomach, correctly realizing that the mood had left her. “Why don’t you try to find  _ where  _ they are hiding? Will that work?”

“But not approach her?”

He nodded, raising his brows, eyes dancing with amusement despite the fact that she was obviously irritated with him. 

“What if she approaches me?”

“Then you’re welcome to talk to her. We just have to make it clear that  _ we  _ are not their enemies. I don’t think One, Two, Three, Four, or Six think that they’re enemies, either. One and Three have talked about leaving before, and I don’t think any of the evens actually  _ want  _ to be here. Well, Two, maybe.”

She gripped his shirt, pulling him up to her. “You’re going to be safe,” she commanded. 

“I promise.”

Satisfied, she kissed him, and he made a small noise, “Don’t you want to—”

“When you get back from your mission.” If the promise of sex when he got home didn’t keep him alive, nothing could. 

Five grinned, kissing her again. “You’re perfect, and I love you.” When he blinked away, she collapsed against her bed, letting her thoughts drift for a while. 

She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until she heard a knock on her door. Small noises could be enough to wake her up, especially when she was nervous. Five’s missions always set her off, and she knew that if she turned her head to the side that she’d see all of the books that had been on his desk knocked to the side. 

Yawning, she stepped over to the door, wondering why Five didn’t just blink in. He was better with her about boundaries, sure, but this was technically  _ his  _ room. 

She opened the door, already tipping her chin before—

“Vanya?” They were the same height, so she must have looked ridiculous, tilting her chin up to talk to the person in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

“Is this not Five’s room in this timeline?” Her voice held a nervous note, and Seven gently set her hand on her forearm, only a little heartbroken when she flinched away. 

“No, it’s still his room.”

“Ah. Well, I’m going to—”

“Don’t go,” she blurted, wishing she could slap herself for her inability to talk to women. Experimenting with Three for years had always ended with heartbreak when she realized that they had to  _ speak  _ after sex. “He’ll be back soon. Just on a mission. What did you want to talk about?”

“I…” She glanced away, clearing her throat and blushing. 

Seven’s eyes widened, and a grin overtook her features. “Don’t stop on my account!”

Vanya looked scared, and Seven deflated. “I didn’t mean to—”

“We’re not the enemies, Vanya,” Seven promised. “Okay, well. Some of them might be the enemies, I suppose. The first three you’d have to look out for most likely.”

“You guys fought us like we were enemies.”

She arched a brow. “You think you would have left with your lives if we were giving it our all? Have you guys  _ ever  _ fought as a team?”

“I—”

“Listen, Vanya. I promise you right now that I will never hurt you, and I promise Five won’t either.”

“You can’t make promises for him,” she said, eyes narrowed. 

“Sure I can. I do it all the time. He doesn’t mind.”

“Are you two…?”

“Yes.” Her hope wasn’t completely squashed, then. Vanya was interested. In Five unfortunately, but this could still certainly work. “Vanya, if you were coming to him in hopes that he would protect you? I can guarantee he will, and that I will too. If information is what you’re searching for, I can give you that too.”

“What do you want in exchange?”

Her lips curled. “I think you know that.”

* * *

Vanya stayed in Seven’s room while they waited for Five to return, and she quickly explained that she just didn’t want him to mistake either of them and startle her. Probably wasn’t that convincing, given the fact that Seven’s hair had been chopped into a pixie cut years ago, but, really, the startling factor was true. Just for a different reason. If he saw Vanya in there, he’d assume that Seven had taken her, and he’d start freaking out that she’d stolen somebody. 

Of course, it worked out. He went to the library first, where they always met if they didn’t go to his bedroom. She could hear Vanya pacing upstairs, but she didn’t pay her any mind, figuring that she would probably have a bit of an adjustment period.

“Seven?” he called, and she glanced up from the book she was reading. She’d sat down on the ladder immediately after grabbing it (using the ladder to get a book was something she usually did when she worried Two might walk in and start calling her Matilda again, thinking this the height of humor, though she supposed he hadn’t done that since she was about twelve). “You there?”

“Yes, Five,” she said, and he smiled at her. “Come here, I have to talk to you!”

He blinked over, tall enough that he reached her torso despite the fact that she was on the top rung. “What is it?” 

“I fell asleep before I could go out, and… Vanya knocking on your bedroom door woke me up.” She didn’t dare speak any louder than was absolutely needed. “I think she was trying to get information from you with… you know, the fun methods.”

His lips quirked. “Where is she?”

“My bedroom.”

“Have any of the others noticed?”

“I told her to listen and be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Do you want to go meet her?”

“In a bit,” he said, and she suddenly remembered what she’d promised if he came back alive. His thumb brushed against her knee-highs, head tipping forward. In a bragging tone, he told her, “I don’t even have a scratch on my body.” 

“That’s a lie. I know for a fact that I scratched you last night.”

He frowned. “That doesn’t count. I meant I was unhurt from the mission. Plus, the deal was just that I was  _ alive.  _ If I had come back with a concussion and broken ribs, I’d still be begging you to give me a sponge bath in the infirmary.”

“You’re an idiot.” She tugged at his hair, pulling him forward until his jaw was resting against her thigh. “This is all you get. We have to be quick.”

“Because of Vanya?” He flipped up her skirt a little, just to tug her panties to her knees, enough that he had easy access. When he licked a stripe down her inner thigh, he prompted, “Do you trust that she’s not going to try to hurt us?”

Her legs spread, and she inched forward, almost falling off the ladder but being saved when his strong arms gripped her and pushed her back. “I think that she’ll probably try to hurt us,” Seven breathed, chin tipping back as she rolled her hips against his face. “But she’s not a threat, and, even if she was, risk would be worth the reward.” 

His tongue dipped into her interest, moaning appreciatively when he tasted the cum that was starting to seep down to the rungs of the ladder. She was pretty sure that there were a few cameras in here, but she didn’t know where they were, figuring that Reginald deserved to see this if he was going to spy on all of them, anyways. Her thighs settled against Five’s shoulders, and he brushed his nose against her clit in response. At the sharp hiss of air that left her mouth, he tilted his head up, giving attention to her clit, kissing it reverently. 

When she heard Vanya settle against her bed, she mewled, grinding against his face until her orgasm washed over her. 

He pulled back, wiping his chin with his tongue and offering her his hand, looking oddly gentlemanly in the action.  _ “Now _ let’s meet her.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I’m going to be working on updates for “shattered glass”, “Thirst Trapocalyspe“, “Lightning in a Bottle”, “wish you were here”, “he wore black and i wore white”, “Little Dark Age”, “a certain type of wind has swept me up”, and “Roses & Rainstorms.” in the coming days. If there are any WIPS not included in this list that y’all want me to update soon, please let me know!

His Seven had never been shy. 

Five assumed that it was a difference of upbringing, taking note immediately that there was no branding on Vanya’s wrist. The other members of the Umbrella Academy all had one, though his Academy had tattoos of small Sparrows in flight. 

“You weren’t a member of the Umbrella Academy,” Five deduced, wondering if she’d ever been trained at all. He’d have to teach her, if she hadn’t. 

Her voice was just a meek whisper. “Are you going to hurt me?” 

Setting his finger under her chin and tilting her head up to him, he assured, “You’re safe here.”

“How can you be certain of that? When Reginald could hurt me?” 

“We would kill him if he tried.” Seven stepped forward, and Vanya raised her brows, assessing her alternate self. “Though if we were worried at all that you’d get hurt, we’d take you away before it was an issue.”

“There is no way that you could  _ possibly  _ know if he poses a threat. Otherwise, you’d have gotten me out of here already.”

He glanced to Seven, trying to assess her thoughts. She shrugged. 

Vanya caught the movement. “How long…?”

“Nearly all of our lives,” Five answered for her, easily catching on to what she was asking.

“Why didn’t you leave?” 

It only took a quick glance at Seven to know that she had no idea what Vanya was talking about, either. 

“I apologize, Vanya, but we don’t understand what you mean.” 

Face crumpling, Vanya curled in on herself, reminding him vaguely of the days when Seven was much younger. She’d often cry after training, from the mental toll it took her in controlling her feelings. Even though she’d long since hardened herself to the realities of their situation, the sight of Vanya at that moment was tugging at his heartstrings. Without much thought to the action, he settled down beside her, not touching her but making it clear that she was welcome to touch  _ him  _ if she needed. 

“When we were thirteen,” she finally said, not taking him up on his silent offer but relaxing her shoulders a little. “He ran away. Traveled to the future and got stuck there.”

“And you assumed it was an inevitability,” Seven finished for her. Vanya nodded. 

When she set her head in her hands, he and Seven shared a glance, equally infuriated with the alternate Five. He was pretty certain she would have already been on her way to teach him a thing or two about respect if it weren’t for the fact that she was clearly trying to figure out how to comfort Vanya. 

“Vanya, how did he get stuck?”

“I don’t want to talk about this further.”

They could both very well figure out what that meant. It wasn’t a very complicated thing to understand; they’d both known that Seven’s powers could likely destroy the world, assuming she had no control over them. The fact that Vanya had no tattoo, and the fact that she refused to speak on this subject further… 

“You don’t have to say anything more,” he assured. “Though you’re welcome to tell us anything, whenever you’d like.”

“I thought that some things were inevitable. That they  _ had  _ to happen. That there was some  _ possible  _ explanation—”

Her breathing hitched, and then she was hugging Seven, apparently having decided that she could trust her alternate self. Seven shot him a stunned look over her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her tightly, protectively. “If you want me to, I could beat his ass. He looked pretty tiny when I saw him.”

Vanya didn’t laugh, but she did clutch Seven tighter. 

“You promise neither of you will hurt me?” Her voice was so small that Five wouldn’t have heard if she weren’t right beside him, but Seven’s ears would have picked up on it no matter how quietly she had spoken. “I don’t… I don’t know if I should be around…”

“Stay here as long as you need. We’ll protect you. If you want to go somewhere else, too, we’ll go with you.”

“Do you feel some sort of obligation to me?” she asked her. “Why do you… Why do  _ you,  _ specifically, want me here?”

Seven leaned back a little, forcing her to look her in the eyes. “We are not enemies, Vanya, and I don’t intend for us to ever be enemies.”

“But  _ why?” _

“I think you already know the answer.” She didn’t elaborate, but it was clear that Vanya understood what was saying. 

Her arms stayed around her until Vanya pulled away, studying her features. “How do you control it?”

“You know, I would be willing to train you. If you’d like me to, I could show you everything I know, and I’d be better at teaching you than anybody else in the world.”

She glanced down. “Not yet, I don’t think.”

“So… do you think that you’re going to stay?”

“For now, yes.”

* * *

Seven  _ rarely _ took solo missions, which Five was appreciative of, willing to take any and all missions he could if it meant she wasn’t put in danger. Which was why he was stunned when she told him that she had one, three days into them taking Vanya in. 

“What do you mean you have a mission?” he grunted, careful not to jostle Vanya, who was laying down on his other side, curled up against his arm. “You  _ never  _ have solo missions.”

“I told him that I wanted one.”

“Why would you do  _ that?” _

“To make me look like a good soldier.”

Five raised his brows. “It’ll be a little suspicious to him, you know.”

“Reginald doesn’t care if I’m suspicious. He  _ cares  _ that I’ll do his bidding without question, and, though I really won’t, it’s best to be on his good side right now. To keep her safe.” She jerked her chin to Vanya. “Besides, it’s probably best that you get to know her. We need to earn her trust. Otherwise, she’ll never be comfortable with us.”

“Surely she trusts us if she’s willing to stay here.”

Scowling, Seven told him, “Don’t be an idiot.”

“How am I being an idiot?”

“The fact that you have to  _ ask.”  _ She sighed, loudly, when he didn’t immediately understand. “Just because she’s staying with us does  _ not  _ mean she trusts us. It’s possible she’s just trying to gain our trust in order to destroy us completely, and, frankly, I wouldn’t blame her. Clearly, Reginald did a number on her, and I think she has a right to be mad…”

“Why are you concerned, then?”

“Because I don’t want her to be scared of us, Five. Obviously.” Her eyes softened when she glanced down at Vanya. “I don’t know what she went through, Five, but I don’t want her to feel like she’s alone.”

“What do you want me to do, Sev?”

“I don’t know. Whatever she requires of you. Maybe try to talk to her or something. Just make sure she doesn’t think for a second that you’ll hurt her like the other Five has.”

Five nodded. “Be safe, Seven.”

She kissed his cheek. “Whatever she asks.”

“Got it.”

Seven jogged off, humming to herself softly, gathering energy. Five glanced down at Vanya, still asleep, mouth slightly agape. 

“We aren’t going to ever hurt you,” he promised, letting himself relax, figuring that he should get as much sleep as he should. Though he didn’t  _ like  _ his Seven going on missions, he had no doubts that she would be able to take care of herself. Plus, she did have a point about being on Reginald’s good side. Five had no doubts that Reginald already knew Vanya was with them, but he’d likely think of it as a way to incentivize them. It was why he never questioned the  _ dalliances  _ (which, sadly, was the exact way Reginald had phrased it) between One and Three or Five and Seven or any of the even numbers. As long as they proved themselves loyal, he didn’t care what they did. His rules had also gotten a lot more lax as they’d grown older, probably aware that they would have left if they hadn’t. 

There were a few reasons why neither he nor Seven had tried to leave yet. For one thing, in never forcing Five and Seven apart, he now held leverage over the both of them. Even though they were probably the most powerful on the team (aside from Six), all it would take was either her or himself to be captured for them both to give into whatever Reginald said. He knew that, if he was forced to give his life up in order to protect Seven, he’d do it in a heartbeat, and he knew that the feeling was reciprocated. 

Another problem was the rest of the others. Though he’d leave them if it was absolutely necessary, it hadn’t ever been necessary as of this point, and he wasn’t going to just leave them there alone. Even if Seven was his favorite, he  _ did  _ love the other people he’d grown up with. If she had ever asked to run away, he would have, but he wasn’t going to abandon the others unless it was necessary. 

With Vanya at their side, however, they would both go the second anything in this place posed a danger. 

Clutching her tightly to his side, Five finally closed his eyes, hopeful that Seven would be there when he woke up. Though he was pretty certain her mission would take, at the very least, an entire day.

* * *

Grace tilted her head to the side as she stared at Vanya, trying to figure out what was off about her. Finally, she just asked, “Are you hungry, dear?”

Vanya sent him a questioning glance, and he nodded, letting her know that Grace was safe. While the android started handing the woman food from a tray, Five flashed behind her, adjusting her wiring quickly. He’d long since learned enough engineering to ensure she was never a threat, something he’d done because Seven had always been attached to her. Though he had no illusions as to what she was, he didn’t want to take away her presence from Seven, who craved the affection the android provided. 

“She seems different,” Vanya commented when Grace finally stepped outside. 

“You noticed?” Five worried for a second that he’d not been subtle enough in his adjustments. Vanya raised her brows. “I made a few fixes,” he explained quickly. “Which is what I was doing just now.”

“Why?”

“I mean, she’s supposed to just be here for surveilling us.” 

“And she doesn’t anymore?”

“No. I suspect Reginald will realize that at some point, but I imagine that she’s been around in later years more as a way to softly threaten us.”

Vanya glanced down. “I killed her. In my timeline.”

Five, a little stunned that she would admit that to him without any prompting, told her, “She wouldn’t have felt anything, Vanya.”

“Pogo would have.”

He wasn’t upset with her Though she was  _ clearly _ expecting him to be. “I’m sure you had your reasons for it.”

“Did you ever even  _ consider  _ leaving?” 

It wouldn’t do well to lie to her, but he knew that the answer would hurt her, regardless. “Time travel wasn’t ever really a subject that fascinated me. From a young age, I’ve only ever studied  _ dimensional  _ travel, and Seven once told me that if I ever traveled, she was going with me.”

Sounding skeptical, she asked, “And you just  _ didn’t _ go?”

“Well, yeah. Going to another dimension is risky enough as is, and I wouldn’t leave without her. I don’t think I could stand being alone for a long time at all.” Five studied her features, trying to figure out what she was thinking, exactly.  _ “Plus,  _ from a very young age, he used to  _ constantly _ force me to work with time travel. Anything loses all the fun when you’re forced to do it until your nose is bleeding like a faucet and you’re vomiting on a training mat.” 

Vanya winced. “So… he’s basically the same in this dimension, too? Or, timeline… I don’t…”

“Do you think that your Five plans to take you all back to where you’d been before?” Without thinking about it, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t—”

“I don’t know  _ what  _ he wants,” she interrupted. 

Figuring that she wouldn’t mind if she was confiding in him now, he asked, “Are there other reasons you’re upset with him? Other than the obvious.”

“He tried to kill me.”

Vanya gripped his hand when he abruptly stood up, completely willing to go kill the son of a bitch for her. 

“You don’t understand. I almost caused the apocalypse. One that  _ he  _ lived in.”

“And that’s a reason to murder you,  _ why?” _

“Please don’t go away, Five,” Vanya whimpered. “I’ll get killed in this place if you leave me.”

Sighing exasperatedly, he sat back down. “You make a fair point.”

“Don’t hurt him.”

“Fine.”

Vanya set her hand on top of his own, and he tried to not to show any reaction, despite the fact that he knew she would feel the way his heart started to flutter. “You don’t sound happy about not hurting him,” she noted, causing him to snort in disbelief. “Five, I don’t mean to sound… I don’t mean to be ungrateful to you for taking me in, but you’ve only  _ just _ met me.”

He could understand why she’d be skeptical. “Seven wants you here, for one thing, and I would never disrespect her wishes. Aside from that, though, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your lifetime, Vanya. I’m not going to let you suffer at all.”

“But I’m not her,” she protested. “Don’t you understand that?”

“It doesn’t matter.” There wasn’t any way that she would be able to understand how he felt. Even if she was nothing like the person he’d grown up with whatsoever, he would still feel an obligation to take care of her. It wasn’t like there was a way that he could adequately explain it, either. He knew that Seven didn’t think the same way that he did, and he understood her line of thinking. What she felt for Vanya wasn’t quite the same as what he felt for her, either, but he didn’t mind. “There’s no way that I can adequately express why I want you alive, Vanya.”

“Is it because of the research you’ve done? Dealing with dimensions?”

“I… yeah. I suppose. Somewhat.”

“You don’t think that you’re…?”

Five blinked, not answering her question because he had absolutely no idea what he would even say. “You seemed surprised that Seven and I were together,” he pointed out instead. “Why is that?”

“Well, my Five and I weren’t…”

“Did you want to be? Before he left?” At the age her Five would have left, he and Seven had done very little more than spend their free times together. “Again, if you don’t feel comfortable with it, you don’t have to tell me.”

“You’re a lot different than him.” 

He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t, just touching his hand every once in a while, deep in thought. When she started cuddling up to his side, he didn’t comment on it, aware that she wouldn’t want him to make a big deal out of it, just wrapping his arms around her and listening to her try to calm her breathing. 

When she finally spoke, he could tell that she was weighing each of her words, back to the mistrust that she’d had before. “Where is Seven?”

“She had an assignment.”

“Are you both still willing to work for Reginald?”

“Depends on your definition of willing, Vanya.”

“Why have you stayed here all of this time?”

There wasn’t any way that he could possibly get her to trust him. “Vanya, if you don’t think you’re safe here, with us, I’ll help you get out of here. I can even help you find your family if you need me to do that for you.”

“I don’t know what I want, Five.” 

So he didn’t pester her, just waiting for Seven to come home to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!! Updates will happen when they happen!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! This will be updated as frequently as possible!!!


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